Liberal arts college
#5 Best colleges in OregonWillamette University
Salem, OR · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $25,121 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#80 of 950
- Best small colleges in America#81 of 906
- Best colleges for business in America#176 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#151 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#261 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#203 of 1,418
Show 13 more
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#205 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#194 of 1,283
- Best test-optional colleges in America#225 of 1,481
- Best colleges for history in America#203 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#195 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#206 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#205 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#192 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#203 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#145 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#85 of 430
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#368 of 1,829
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#145 of 690
In Oregon
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Oregon#1 of 12
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Oregon#2 of 17
- Best colleges for business in Oregon#2 of 16
- Best colleges for art and design in Oregon#2 of 14
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Oregon#3 of 18
- Best colleges for psychology in Oregon#3 of 18
Show 11 more
- Best colleges for music in Oregon#3 of 17
- Best colleges for English in Oregon#3 of 16
- Best colleges for history in Oregon#3 of 16
- Best colleges for mathematics in Oregon#3 of 16
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Oregon#3 of 15
- Best colleges for chemistry in Oregon#3 of 14
- Best colleges for economics in Oregon#3 of 14
- Best colleges in Oregon#5 of 21
- Best test-optional colleges in Oregon#5 of 21
- Best colleges for computer science in Oregon#2 of 8
- Most selective colleges in Oregon#3 of 11
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,377 · ACT 30.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$15,686
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $67,501 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,571 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 38% · Women 62% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 19% |
| Total students | 2,112 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $25,121 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $67,501 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 71% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 65% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 63% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 78% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $56,911 |
| Admission rate | 77% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 24% |
| Average SAT | 1377 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 640–730 |
| SAT math | 600–710 |
| ACT composite | 28–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Physics | |
| Chemistry | |
| Communication studies | |
| Political science | |
| Economics | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| English | |
| Biology | |
| Design | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Archeology, Area studies, Business administration, Classics, Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis, Data Science, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, German, Global studies, History, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Mathematics, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Psychology, Public health, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Sociology, Theatre, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Physical sciences | |
| Natural resources | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,150 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Northwest Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 13 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 69%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $146,457Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 82% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field (SLE)About 2 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 178,8652020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PortlandAbout 45 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 42°F1991–2020 normal, from SALEM MCNARY FLD, OR US, about 3 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 69°F1991–2020 normal, from SALEM MCNARY FLD, OR US, about 3 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.15 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 1.68 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.31 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Willamette University’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 15% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Willamette University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $25,121 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Willamette University?
- Willamette University admitted 77% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Willamette University’s graduates do?
- 71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $56,911; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 210401
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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